Don' know much about dis entymology, but is this a
Lepidoptera cocoon in a Diptera cage?- one of "the two specimens that are indeed big four insects, but which are hanging out with insects of a diff...

Bombus auricomus, a comimic with Bombus pensylvanicus, usually has a crown of yellow setae on its head, which is not present in this image. This is another good indictor that this specimen is B. pensy...

Many wasps, bees and ants have powerful stings, either to subdue prey items, which are often larger than the wasp, or for defense. Three of the most painfully stinging insects are represented here: Pe...

This large ground beetle (Carabidae) is a good example of a predator. These beetles run along the ground searching for prey, which includes other insects, spiders and small, soft-bodied animals. Their...

When most people think of flies, they usually envision a house fly. However, flies are very diverse and come in many forms. More "primitive" flies, like the crane fly and mosquito here are usually fra...

Inquilines are organisms that live in the nests of other organisms. This paussine ground beetle (Carabidae: Paussinae) is an inquiline in ant nests (myrmecophile). Often, inquilines have highly modifi...

This fruit fly (Tephritidae) has wing patterns that make it seem like a jumping spider to other insects and organisms. Since jumping spiders are venomous, the fly gains some protection by looking like...

This underwing (top; Noctuidae) usually pretends to be a dead leaf or bark, but when a predator comes too close the moth will reveal it's bright hind wings to scare it off. Other moths and butterflies...

Many of the insects in this drawer have a metallic appearance - this is called irridescence. Unlike pigments, which are colorations derived from dye-like materials, the shine and color of irridescence...

Titaneus giganteus (Cerambycidae) is one of the largest insects in the world. Our specimen is about 4.5" long, but wild individuals can get to be 6.5" long. To get an idea of the size of this species,...

Insects often resemble other venomous or distasteful insects so that predators avoid them. This is achieved through warning coloration (aposematism), usually involving black, red, orange and/or yellow...